Improvement in hose-bridges



JAMES TAYLOR, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOSE-BRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 189,072, dated April 3,1877; application fileo February 19, 1877.

I a portable bridge to be applied to street-railroad tracks, so as toallow hose from fire-engines or water-plugs to pass under it, and, atthe same time, to allow the cars to pass over the hose without injurythereto; and my invention consists of the two arched bridgerails, unitedtogether by crank-rods in such a manner as to allow the rails to be heldat any desired position, on the track, and firmly secured, so that thecars cannot move the bridge-rails, by means of spikes, which encircle,or are attached to, the crank -rods, and

driven into the ground.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved bridge, and shows themanner in which the same is anchored in position on the rails. Fig. 2represents a side View of the same.

A A represent the rails of the road, and B B represent the arched railsof the bridge. These arched rails are strengthened or supported bystandards (1 d d d, and the extreme ends of the bridge are made toclosely tit the rails by being tapered, so as to allow the wheels of thecar to. readily mount the bridge.

The two bridge-rails are united together by crank-rods O O, which fitinto holes drilled in the standards d d. The crank shape is given to thebars 0 for the purpose of allowing the bars to lie flat on the ground,and not interfere with the horses as they pass over them, the crankportion lying flat on the ground, whatever may be 'the level of thetrack in relation to the rails; and when in the proper position thecrank-bars O are securely fastened to the ground by the spikes l), whichmay either encircle the crank-rods, or be attached thereto in any othersuitable manner, and thus prevent the car wheels from pushing thebridge-rails out of position as the car mounts the bridge. passes underthe bridge, as shown in the drawings.

The bridge-rails should be carried on some of the cars, or should be insome convenient place on each line of road, so as to be quickly conveyedto the desired place. and thus save the delay, and sometimes the actualstoppage of the cars until a fire has been put out. What I claim as new,and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The crank-rods 0, combined with the rails B B of a hose-bridge, as andfor the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

E. O. FRINK, GUSTAVUS FROGHARD.

The hose G.

